Anyone using delay before dirt?

ftumch

I know convention states delay goes after dirt or in the fx loop but what if you dont have an fx loop?
Im currently running my hx in 4cm, very happy with it but im sure im not getting the line/instrument levels correct. I thought it may well just be better going straight into the front of the amp, less clutter and less signal loss, but does this sound terrible with the amp gain up? 
There must be plenty of people that use delay reverb and mods who dont have an fx loop mustnt there?

Anyone do this?  

fretmeister

Perverts do this.

Drew will be along in a minute.

Grumpyrocker

Every so often some well known guitarist will swear by it in some YouTube video. And once again I'll think "I'll try that", and play with it for an hour before deciding "just as shit as last time."

ftumch

Grumpyrocker said:

Every so often some well known guitarist will swear by it in some YouTube video. And once again I'll think "I'll try that", and play with it for an hour before deciding "just as shit as last time."

Do you use a fair bit of these type effects though? I dont use a lot, just the odd bit here and there and tbh very rarely with dirt.

english_bob

It can be done. It's a sound. Whether it's the sound you're looking for is for you to decide. The level of amp gain you use is going to be a significant factor in how different it sounds. 

Chances are if you want to reproduce the same delay sounds you were getting with the delay in the loop you'll need to dial back the delay level and feedback.

ftumch

english_bob said:

It can be done. It's a sound. Whether it's the sound you're looking for is for you to decide. The level of amp gain you use is going to be a significant factor in how different it sounds. 

Chances are if you want to reproduce the same delay sounds you were getting with the delay in the loop you'll need to dial back the delay level and feedback.

Yeah thats a pain, it means two different settings for delay and verb. One for clean one for gained up. I could link the levels to the expression pedal but then it all starts getting needlessly complicated.

Grumpyrocker

ftumch said:

Grumpyrocker said:

Every so often some well known guitarist will swear by it in some YouTube video. And once again I'll think "I'll try that", and play with it for an hour before deciding "just as shit as last time."

Do you use a fair bit of these type effects though? I dont use a lot, just the odd bit here and there and tbh very rarely with dirt.

Oh lots. Lots and lots. Love a big slab of echo.

ftumch

Grumpyrocker said:

ftumch said:

Grumpyrocker said:

Every so often some well known guitarist will swear by it in some YouTube video. And once again I'll think "I'll try that", and play with it for an hour before deciding "just as shit as last time."

Do you use a fair bit of these type effects though? I dont use a lot, just the odd bit here and there and tbh very rarely with dirt.

Oh lots. Lots and lots. Love a big slab of echo.

lovely. I can see that being a problem then yeah. 

Fishboy7

I suppose its just like a delay in front of a distorting amp

builttospill

I favour thick, dirty, messy and unpredictable repeats. I’m definitely a recent delay before dirt convert, have to admit I’m getting some inspiring sounds with an Echoplex delay before Thorpy Warthog, the key is to not over do it with delay settings as mentioned elsewhere. Maybe I’m just shit at using delay but I could never dial in a sound I was happy with delay post dirt. 99.9% of the time I would get something that resembled shit 80’s metal lead. Sorry not dissing 80’s metal I actually like some of it.

simonbeckwith

I have an Orange AD140, Channel A with gain all the way up, crunchy type tone, and I run an MXR Carbon Copy Bright and Tc HoF mini into the front end with no issues whatsoever. Prior to those there is a fuzz face, Octavio, wah, maxon od808 and a Tc Spark Mini.

but yeh, the verb and delay are fine into dirt, I actually prefer it

Greatape

El Capistan into RAT..

ewal

I have dirt before and after delay.

p90fool

I like it, especially the way your guitar volume becomes a delay mix control. 

JezWynd

Popped up on my feed...

ftumch

Ill give it a go i think. Potentially itll cure more problems than it causes.

ftumch

builttospill said:

I favour thick, dirty, messy and unpredictable repeats. I’m definitely a recent delay before dirt convert, have to admit I’m getting some inspiring sounds with an Echoplex delay before Thorpy Warthog, the key is to not over do it with delay settings as mentioned elsewhere. Maybe I’m just shit at using delay but I could never dial in a sound I was happy with delay post dirt. 99.9% of the time I would get something that resembled shit 80’s metal lead. Sorry not dissing 80’s metal I actually like some of it.

Sounds very much like what Steven Wilson said about setting his delays.

bbill335

I currently run a reverb pedal into OD, delay after that but delay into dirt is nice! try it!

WiresDreamDisasters

fretmeister said:

Perverts do this.

Drew will be along in a minute.

Yeah so I touch myself at bus stops, and I wear a trench coat, and my wife can never get to sleep because I'm always fiddling and diddling.

And I put delay and reverb before my dirty amp.

WiresDreamDisasters

p90fool said:

I like it, especially the way your guitar volume becomes a delay mix control. 

Yeah kinda. It's more of a "intensity" control at that point, but I get what you mean.

I use a volume pedal, but the principle is the same.

Keefy

I run delay into a just-breaking-up amp. Works for me.